


prerequisite

by charlesworthy



Category: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-29 23:38:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10864506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charlesworthy/pseuds/charlesworthy
Summary: He didn't want to, but he had to.  He didn't have to, but he wanted to.---Lyon kills Fado himself.





	prerequisite

"It is what must be done."

The voice in Lyon's head was seductive and icy, sliding down his spine like cold, thick water. He'd have shuddered if he had any control over his body. No, he was merely present, an audience to his own actions, unable to change the script he was enacting.

"Don't worry, young prince," the voice cooed. "Allow me to take care of everything. The blood will be on my hands, dear prince."

Lyon knew that was a lie. It would be his hands that did the work. Who was puppeteering made no difference. They were still his hands.

"S-surely... King Fado will allow me... P-perhaps we should fetch Father." Lyon's own voice was barely a whisper in comparison to the roaring river of Fomortiis.

"But what is one life to the lives of so many, my prince? Surely the sacrifice of but one king is suitable." Fomortiis spoke with Lyon's voice, but unlike Lyon, He knew how to use it well. He could make Lyon sound cold, loving, reverent, and authoritative. Lyon could never grow out of his gentle cadence. "And your dear friends... Are they not suited to take his place, Lyon?"

"You want to kill them too. I know."

The demon cackled in Lyon's skull, then purred. "Yes, such a smart boy, aren't you?" Lyon's heart sank.

His feet, unbidden by Lyon, carried him up the stairs leading to the throne room. 

"I cannot help you if you do not destroy the stones."

"I know."

"Then you know what you must do. I'll allow you to speak with Fado, if you must. But he will die, and we will be one step closer to saving your people."

Lyon wasn't stupid. Even in the small corner of his mind Fomortiis had been unable to touch, he knew the Demon King's true intent. But he also knew, as long as the sun and moon were still present, the skies would keep spinning. The dawn would come, even if Lyon shrouded the continent in night. He was counting on it.

The Renaisian throne room was massive. It was not as big as the hall at home in Grado, but every bit impressive with tapestries that stretched from floor to ceiling. Today, it felt eeriely empty. Lyon was being handed his victory -- it had been taken elsewhere.

"King Fado," said Lyon's voice. Even he wasn't sure who was speaking.

"Lyon?" Fado seemed surprised to see him, but kept his expression guarded and unreasonable.

"Surprised to see me?" Lyon held a gentle smile. Even as he was standing here, ready to break the twins' hearts, he felt... Powerful. No one would expect weak, sickly Prince Lyon to conquer a country. But perhaps that was Fomortiis, gently pushing him to where He wanted, even where Lyon wanted to be. He would not relent so easily, but yet the smile remained. "I suppose you expected my father, did you not?"

"I didn't know what to expect. Certainly not this war." His answer was too measured to be accidental. The king had prepared for this moment, it seemed.

"And yet you've done well," the prince commended. "It was not as easy to arrive here before you today as I had originally planned.

"You should be proud of your son, King Fado. I have not yet seen Ephraim, so he must yet live."

"A relief to us both, I hope."

A dark shade passed over Lyon's soft features. Yes, it was a relief. His best friend Ephraim yet lived, and would survive to take the throne Lyon was about to empty. But he wanted Ephraim dead, he wanted to best Ephraim one last time and feel, truly FEEL like he had won, just once. He was also sure this twist was of Fomortiis' doing. "You may be surprised to know I do not wish him-- ngh!"

A spasm took Lyon, curling his stomach into knots. "I do not wish him harm!" he cried. "I do not!"

He didn't know how much he believed his own words.

"Prince Lyon, what has happened? Has your father ordered this attack? If you're here to kill me, imprison me, take my throne, fine. But answer me this first."

Lyon rose back to his full height, hands shaking. "You are a dead man," he replied. "So I don't think it will hurt to explain...."

He grunted again, stumbling as he started crossing the long hall to meet Fado.

"You are unwell, Lyon, stop this madness!"

"That's it!" Lyon shouted. "I'm unwell! I'm weak and pathetic! I'm no proper prince, I'm unfit to lead, I am, King Fado, very, very unwell."

These were his words. Not the demon's.

"But oh, King Fado, forgive my poor father..."

These were the demon's.

"He only wishes to see a true heir succeed him. This is my coronation ceremony, you might say, and--

"No! I cannot lie to you!" Lyon was panting, now, loud, heavy breaths. The king's grip tightened on his lance. "This is all my fault, King Fado. Do not forget this. I will never forgive myself, but I simply must destroy Renais' Sacred Stone. You cannot understand."

"You're right," the king's voice was terse, steady and unrelenting. He drew back his arm, ready to strike should Lyon draw nearer. The prince did, but the king did not strike. "I will not understand, but you cannot have our stone."

"I must...!"

"It is not in my power, Lyon. I'm sorry. Goodbye."

The king moved, but his action stopped short. His lance was frozen in the air, without momentum, still. "Goodbye, King Fado. I still appreciate all you've done for me. For Grado."

Lyon's hands rent the air, drawing an eldritch spell forward and cutting the king's life short. Lyon was unaware if this was his own doing or Fomortiis. He would take the blame anyway. His hands. Bloodied.

They shook, just as Lyon struggled to regain his breath.

The Sacred Stone of Grado had been held by the clergy. Protected and worshipped, it was faith's rule that kept it safe from harm. Lyon did not know of Renais' treasures, but he would learn.

"Hurry, Lyon," the demon king whispered eagerly. Already the prince moved to begin searching. "I can feel the stone. It isn't far."

"I know." He could too. Perhaps he was the reason the demon king could, or the demon king's imparted powers gave Lyon that ability. "But I also..."

"There's a seal... It's strong."

"Can we break it?"

"Not yet, Lyon. We don't have the strength. Why does it feel familiar, prince?"

Lyon, in realization, stopped dead in his tracks. The aura of the seal reminded him of Eirika and Ephraim, his dear friends. The notion hit him too fast to hide in his private corner, and so now the Demon King realized it too.

"So we must kill them," He concluded, bemused. "After all you did... They must still die."

"N-no... Perhaps we can convince them. They mustn't die. They mustn't. They're..." The only thing that could save Lyon from his fate.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this on my phone on a plane  
> I'm using hcs that Lyon doesn't know about the twins bracelets before his invasion and that he and fomortiis can just... Talk to each other


End file.
